The Love of a Real Family
by GlitterBallroom
Summary: Blaine is practically a part of Kurt's family, but why hasn't Kurt met Blaine's family yet? Little does Kurt know, the Anderson family has a horrible past that Kurt himself just might make worse.
1. Chapter 1: A Bad Sign

Kurt yawned and leaned against his locker. He wanted to curl up and go back to bed. His AP English class was killing him. He'd stayed up almost all night trying to understand Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, the most impossible play in the world to understand. He grabbed his books, took a sip of his coffee and shut the locker door. He had to lean against his locker one last time to gain the energy to walk the 30 feet to his class. "Hey Kurt," he heard a familiar voice say. He slowly turned his head to see his boyfriend standing next to him. "What's up? You look terrible," Blaine said.

"Thanks so much. I stayed up all night reading," Kurt said.

"Again? Kurt, you need to sleep!" Blaine said.

"I know. I'll do that eventually. Walk me to my class?" Kurt asked. Blaine linked arms with him and they started down the hallway. Someone accidentally bumped into Kurt and his books went flying onto the floor. He cursed under his breath and bent down to get his books.

"Let me help you," said Blaine, bending down to help Kurt pick up his books. He instantly regretted it.

"What's that?" Kurt asked, pointing to the purple bruise on Blaine's arm.

"Oh, it's nothing. I…I fell down the stairs last night," Blaine said, quickly covering the arm with his coat.

"You did? Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to a doctor?" Kurt asked, grabbing his boyfriend by the shoulders and looking him over. Blaine laughed.

"Relax Kurt, I'm fine. You know me, I'm just clumsy. But thanks for caring. Really," Blaine said. Kurt couldn't help but notice that Blaine's eyes fogged over when he said thanks for caring.

"No problem, you know I always care about you," Kurt said. They'd reached the doorway of Kurt's classroom. "I'll see you at lunch?" Kurt asked. Blaine nodded, gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. As Kurt sat down at his desk, he couldn't help but think that something was missing. Why didn't Blaine tell him he had fallen down the stairs? Why did he get so emotional? Thoughts swam in Kurt's mind until he finally saw Blaine at lunch. He loved how Blaine's face always lit up when he saw him. Kurt was sitting at a table with Mercedes and Tina when Blaine came up to him.

"Hey, do you think we could have lunch by ourselves today?" Blaine asked. Mercedes shot him a look of mischief.

"Mercedes, I'm sure that Blaine has something very important to talk to me about. Get your head out of the gutter," Kurt said. "And Blaine, I would love to have lunch alone with you today." Kurt picked up his tray and went over to a small table in the corner of the cafeteria with Blaine. "So what's up?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I want you to keep your mind open when I ask you this. And there's absolutely no reason why you would have to say yes. I just need to put this out on the table to tell them that I asked…"Blaine babbled.

"Out with it! You're killing me!" Kurt laughed.

"Well…my um…parents…have asked to meet you," Blaine said quietly.

"Really?" Kurt asked with a big smile on his face.

"Yeah, I mean, I told them a lot about you and they asked for me to bring you over on Saturday," Blaine said slowly.

"Blaine, I would be honored to meet your family!" Kurt said enthusiastically. Blaine didn't look so eager.

"Really?" Blaine asked. He looked very pale, almost green.

"Yeah, of course! Why, is there something wrong with your family?" Kurt joked. Blaine wanted to tell him, boy did he want to tell him. But he just couldn't. Kurt was so excited. He couldn't bear to take that away from him.

"Great. Want to come by at like noon on Saturday?" Blaine asked.

"Sounds great!" Kurt said. The boys spent the rest of their lunch talking about duets for Glee and the newest Broadway plays that were in the making. Neither boy had any idea what they were in for.


	2. Chapter 2: Whispers in the Silence

Kurt adjusted his little red bowtie in the mirror in his room. With one last quick spray to his hair, he grabbed his keys, got into his Range Rover and drove the forty minutes to Blaine's house. He checked his hair one last time in his rearview mirror, grabbed both bouquets of flowers from the passenger seat, shut his door and walked up to the front door of the Anderson house. He had been here hundreds of times, but never when Blaine's family was home. Blaine's parents were travel agents. They were almost always away checking out new resorts and destinations to recommend for their clients. Kurt was just never over when they were home by complete coincidence. Kurt rang the doorbell and a tiny, brunette woman with curly hair opened the door. "You must be Kurt! I've heard so much about you! I'm Sarah Anderson, Blaine's mother," she said, giving Kurt a hug. Kurt smiled brightly.

"It's nice to meet you! These are for you," he said, handing her the bouquet of lilies.

"Oh, Kurt, they're beautiful! You really didn't have to get me flowers," Sarah said. The light sound of bare feet came running down the stairs.

"Kurt!" Blaine exclaimed, running down the stairs and into his boyfriend's arms.

"It's nice to see you too," Kurt said, laughing. "This is for you." Kurt handed Blaine a single red rose.

"Aww thank you! It's beautiful!" Blaine said, giving Kurt a kiss. He ushered him inside and Kurt slipped off his boots. "I was thinking we could wa…" Blaine was interrupted by the sound of industrial boots clomping out of the study. A tall, sturdy man with dark hair and Blaine's eyes emerged and Blaine's face went ghostly white. Kurt knew that Blaine's father was homophobic and there was a chance this could now go very badly. Kurt's stomach twisted into a knot.

"What's going on out here?" the man asked.

"Steven, this is Kurt. He's Blaine's…friend from school," Sarah said. Kurt suddenly understood.

"Steven Anderson," the man said, shaking Kurt's hand. His handshake was past firm and close to too tight.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Kurt said. Mr. Anderson barely nodded.

"Blaine, can I speak to you in the study please?" Mr. Anderson asked. Kurt could see the fear enter Blaine's eyes. Blaine didn't move. Sarah nudged him towards his father.

"Yeah dad," Blaine said. He followed his father into the study. Kurt wanted so desperately to go with him, to make sure he was okay.

"Come into the kitchen Kurt. Do you like lemonade?" Sarah asked.

"Um, yeah. Is Blaine okay?" Kurt asked.

"Oh of course sweetie, he's fine. His father just has to ask him something really quick," Mrs. Anderson said. She avoided all eye contact with Kurt and flitted around the kitchen nervously. She flipped on the radio and poured Kurt a glass of lemonade. Kurt could swear that even over the sound of Jason Mraz strumming his guitar on the radio, he heard yelling. About five minutes later, Blaine came into the kitchen. His hands were shaking and his perfectly quaffed hair seemed somewhat out of place on one spot.

"Hey Kurt, do you want to go to my room to watch a movie?" Blaine asked.

"Sure," Kurt replied, giving Blaine a strange look.

"Great! I'm going to grab us a snack, do you want to go and pick one?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded and headed up the stairs, but crept back down close enough to the bottom to hear into the kitchen.

"Honey, are you okay?" Mrs. Anderson said to her son quietly. He didn't hear Blaine respond. Instead he heard a giant sigh from Mrs. Anderson. "Don't cry honey. You don't want to freak Kurt out."

"He hit me again, mom," he heard Blaine choke out quietly. Kurt gasped, but quickly held his tongue.

"Do you want some ice for that?" she asked. Kurt heard rustling in the cabinets and then in the ice box. "Hold this to your eye for a minute," Sarah said. Kurt waited for a few minutes until he heard the clunk of the boots coming down the hall again. His stomach dropped and he scampered up the stairs to Blaine's room. He sat down on Blaine's bed. His legs suddenly felt like Jell-o and they couldn't support his weight anymore. He sat for a few minutes to process his thoughts. Mr. Anderson had hurt Blaine. That he already knew. Had this happened before? All he knew is that Blaine was in trouble. He wanted to know everything. He wanted to make Blaine feel better. He wanted to hug Blaine and tell him that it was going to be okay. He wanted to kill Mr. Anderson for even thinking of laying a hand on Blaine. Not Blaine. Anyone but Blaine.


	3. Chapter 3: Behind the Charade

Kurt's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of feet in the doorway. Even though these feet were much quieter and less frightening, Kurt still jumped when Blaine entered the room. "So what did you pick?" Blaine asked, tossing a bag of Doritos onto the bed. Kurt had completely forgotten the movie. There was no sign of injury on Blaine's face.

"Aladdin," Kurt said, naming off Blaine's favorite movie. He just got hit in the face. He deserved a little Disney joy.

"Yay, my favorite!" Blaine said. Blaine put the DVD in the player and started the movie. About twenty minutes in, during "One Jump Ahead," Blaine said, "You're not watching the movie," snapping Kurt from his thoughts.

"What? Yeah I am," Kurt said, nibbling on a chip.

"No you're not. You always sing this song under your breath when we watch this movie. You're not even moving your lips," Blaine said. Kurt gave Blaine a gentile kiss on the lips.

"How's that for moving my lips?" Kurt asked. Blaine laughed.

"Very nice," Blaine responded. He pressed play and the movie began again. During "A Whole New World," Kurt felt Blaine's head fall to his shoulder and his hand find the crease of his elbow. Kurt snuggled closer to him. He wanted to keep Blaine safe. He looked down at Blaine's face and saw a contented smile. Kurt sighed.

"Blaine, I have to ask you something," Kurt said. Blaine paused the movie.

"What's up?" Blaine asked. Kurt paused for a minute to think how to begin and Blaine saw he was struggling for words. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Blaine said, giving Kurt a kiss on the cheek. Kurt sighed again.

"Yeah. I know." Kurt waited a few seconds, building up enough courage. Finally, he said it. "I overheard you and your mom talking in the kitchen." The words were almost too quiet and Kurt hoped Blaine didn't hear him. Kurt felt Blaine's grip on his arm tense.

"You did?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded. "I was going to tell you eventually," Blaine said.

"I know. And I can wait until you're ready to talk about it too. Even if you don't ever want to, I'm fine with that," Kurt said. Now it was Blaine's turn to gather his thoughts. He hopped off the bed and quietly shut the door to his bedroom, and then got back onto the bed, but didn't snuggle back up with Kurt. Instead, he crossed his arms across his chest. Kurt thought the conversation was over. "I'm sorry for prying," Kurt said.

"You're not! Don't ever think that! I've actually been meaning to tell you about this for a while. I just never found the right time. I should have told you before you came over," Blaine said. He waited a few seconds to continue. "It hasn't always been like this. We were a really happy family once. And then…" Blaine didn't finish his sentence.

"And then what, Blaine?" Kurt asked, putting his hand on top of Blaine's. Blaine took a shuddering breath and squeezed Kurt's hand.

"And then I came out," Blaine whispered. Kurt closed his eyes. Blaine had been out to his family for almost three years. Has it been going on like this for that long?

"Oh Blaine," Kurt said, pulling Blaine to rest on his shoulder. Tears were now trickling down Blaine's cheeks.

"At first, he thought that working on cars and doing projects would de-gay me. And then the Sadie Hawkins incident happened." Kurt had heard all about the Sadie Hawkins incident before prom. "He thought that maybe that would have knocked some sense into me, but when I ask to transfer to Dalton, it started. He would yell every night about how stupid I was and how there was something wrong with me. And then one night, the night I got my first solo with the Warblers, my dad just came in, slapped me across the face, called me a fag and left." By this point, Kurt was beside himself crying. Blaine was shaking, but not as big of a mess. "It's been like that ever since. Every time any mention of my sexuality has come up, he's just gone off."

"And he met your boyfriend for the first time today," Kurt whispered through his tears.

"Yep. And earlier this week I asked him if I could bring you to meet the family," Blaine said. Kurt suddenly remembered the bruise on Blaine's arm from the other day.

"So you didn't fall down the stairs…" Kurt whispered.

"Nope. Stairs don't make bruises that are shaped like handprints," Blaine said, showing Kurt his arm again. It really was shaped like a handprint. Kurt hadn't even noticed that when he had seen it days before.

"What about your mom? She seems so nice," Kurt asked.

"She is. She's just scared. She's ended up hurt too for trying to defend me. She doesn't know what to do. So we put up with it," Blaine said.

"Move in with me," Kurt blurted out. He instantly regretted it. That was meant to stay in his head.

"Kurt…"

"I don't want you to get hurt," Kurt whispered, tears springing back to his eyes.

"I'll be fine. I've been dealing with it for years," Blaine said, pulling Kurt in for a hug.

"Not with me around. You said that he gets the maddest when your sexuality is brought up. Well I'm a big part of that. I don't want you to be scared to have me over. And I don't want you to be scared to go home." Kurt thought of his own happy family. His dad, Carole and Finn. He wanted Blaine to have that safe, happy feeling too.

"I'm not. Believe me, I can take the blows. Why do you think I started boxing? I did it so I could protect my mom if the need ever came," Blaine said. Kurt sighed. Blaine would do that. He pictured Blaine helping his mom ice a fresh black eye, later falling asleep in her bed after Mr. Anderson had stormed off for the night. Blaine was stubborn. As much as Kurt wanted Blaine to come stay with them out of danger, he would never leave his mom alone with his dad anyways.

"Have you ever thrown a punch?" Kurt asked quietly.

"Never. He always beats me to it, either with me or my mom. How do you think my mom knew how to treat a black eye?" Blaine asked. Kurt gently touched the spot under Blaine's eye that was now starting to swell. Blaine didn't even flinch. Instead, he leaned into Kurt's gentile touch.

"Promise me one thing," Kurt said.

"Of course," Blaine responded.

"You have to promise me that if something bad ever happens to you or your mom that you'll call me. Both of you are more than welcome to stay at my house until the storm blows over," Kurt said.

"Thank you. That would be wonderful," Blaine said. Kurt rested his head on Blaine's chest. The sound of work boots clomped through the downstairs and Kurt's muscles all tightened. "Relax," Blaine said, rubbing Kurt's back. "I would never let him hurt you." The boys sat in silence for a few minutes.

"What has he done to you?" Kurt asked. He instantly regretted it. Why did he ask? He didn't want to know what this bastard did to his beloved. Blaine sighed and Kurt snuggled closer to him. He knew this was going to be painful to hear.

"Mostly a lot of black eyes," Blaine said. "He has a good right hook. He does a lot of grabbing too. My hair and my arms are good targets for that." Kurt touched Blaine's loose curls that he loved so much gently and Blaine smiled. "The worst was when I came home from Warblers practice really happy because I'd gotten my big lead part. He slammed me into the wall, yelled 'Why can't you be normal,' and I ended up in the emergency room for a dislocated shoulder." Blaine moved his left shoulder as he spoke. Kurt gently laid his hand on that shoulder.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Kurt said, kissing Blaine's same shoulder.

"I know. I promise I'll keep you in the loop from now on. You're so good to me. You deserve to know at this point," Blaine said. Kurt nodded. They never finished the movie. Blaine dozed off eventually, leaving Kurt with his thoughts once again. He needed to figure out how to get Blaine out of that house and away from his father.


	4. Chapter 4: Big Brother

Life went on for Kurt and Blaine. They both went to school on Monday like normal, but Kurt was now keeping a constant protective eye out on Blaine. It was the following Friday. The boys were sitting outside eating lunch on the grass. "Hey, you remember that offer you made for me to stay at your house?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, why, what happened?" Kurt asked, clearly worried.

"Nothing happened. I just…I have something going on at my house this weekend and I don't really want to deal with it," Blaine replied.

"Oh, yeah, then I'm sure it's fine if you say your parents are away and you want to stay at my house," Kurt said. He waited a few moments and nibbled on his sandwich. "Care to tell me what's going on?" Blaine sighed.

"Cooper's coming into town," Blaine said.

"But I thought you and Coop were cool now," Kurt said.

"Yeah, Cooper and I are fine. It's Cooper, my dad and I who aren't. Ever since I came out, Cooper's been the pride and joy of the family. Whenever he's around, it reminds my dad what a screw up I am to him since Cooper's so successful. And straight," Blaine said.

"Cooper doesn't do anything about it since you guys are friends now?" Kurt asked.

"No. He's too scared to step into the line of fire. He just sort of nods and gives me a sorry look when my dad praises him and insults me," Blaine said.

"Coward," Kurt whispered under his breath.

"Hm?" Blaine asked. Good, he hadn't heard him.

"Nothing. I get it. Of course you can stay over," Kurt said.

"And for a day or two after Coop leaves?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded. "Since my dad is reminded how bad of a person I am, he feels the need to remind me. I ended up with two bruised ribs from the reminder last time," Blaine said, hanging his head.

"You're a wonderful, beautiful person. Don't forget that," Kurt said, putting his arm around his boyfriend.

"Thanks. And I try to tell myself that every day. It's just hard to believe it when its coming from your family," Blaine said. So once Blaine got home, he packed up his stuff and went to the Hudson-Hummel home for the weekend. Kurt had never been so excited to have Blaine stay the night. Of course he enjoyed Blaine's company, but he also knew that Blaine was safe and he could sleep soundly at night with Blaine sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor beside him instead of in the house with his dad.

The following day was a warm Saturday. The boys laid outside on the lawn doing their homework. Blaine's phone beeped, meaning he got a text. Kurt kept reading his biology textbook. "Do you want to go out for lunch?"Blaine asked.

"What are you saying about my cooking?" Kurt asked jokingly.

"Nothing, your cooking is wonderful," Blaine said. "That was Cooper. He wanted to know if we wanted to meet at Breadstix for lunch." Kurt could confront Cooper about their father and try to get him to do something about it. And plus, he felt much too lazy today to do his own cooking.

"Sure, let's go," Kurt said. They gathered up their things and Kurt drove them to Breadstix. Cooper was already there, so they found his table and sat down and ordered their food. Jeff called Blaine in the middle of the meal to chat and Blaine excused himself and went outside to talk to him. Kurt knew this was his chance to talk to Cooper.

"Cooper, I need to talk to you about something," Kurt said, avoiding Cooper's eyes.

"What's up? Is something wrong with my brother?" Cooper asked.

"Not at the moment, no. But there is something very wrong." Kurt took a deep breath before continuing. "Blaine told me about your father."

"…Oh," Cooper said. Kurt waited.

"Oh? All you have for me is 'oh?' Your brother is in danger! I hope you know he's put him in the hospital!" Kurt was getting louder.

"Kurt, calm down, we're in a public place. Don't make a scene," Cooper said, trying to quiet him.

"Would a scene get you to actually swallow your pride and do something about this?" People around them were turning around.

"You don't think I've tried?" Cooper was now just as loud as Kurt. Both boys looked around and noticed that many people were now staring at them. "Our dad doesn't listen." Cooper was much quieter. "Every time I'm at home, I put in a good word for Blaine. I tell him how smart he is, how well behaved he is, how talented he is. He just doesn't listen. All he cares about is who's in his bed at the end of the day. He tells me every day how ashamed he is that there's 'something wrong with his son.' He doesn't want anyone else to know. He just tries to hold me up as some kind of almighty God and beat the gay out of Blaine. He thinks that one day he'll knock some sense into him." Kurt was dumbfounded.

"Cooper, I'm so sorry," Kurt whispered. Cooper sighed.

"Don't be," Cooper said. "You're just trying to protect him, just like I am. I text him every single morning to make sure he's okay. I was the first person that he texted when he had to go to the ER for his dislocated shoulder and I met him and mom at the hospital. I sat with him through the doctors trying to shove his shoulder back into its socket. I had to hear him scream. Mom was too shaken up and had to leave the room. Believe me Kurt, I'm just as concerned about him as you are, but there's absolutely no stopping our dad. He doesn't believe that Blaine is normal and he thinks he can fix it. But trust me, I'm our dad's Kryptonite. He won't hurt Blaine around me."

"He beats him the worst when you leave," Kurt said under his breath, just loudly enough for Cooper to hear. Coop was silent.

"He never told me that," Cooper said.

"Hey guys, sorry about that, Jeff got his first big solo for the Warblers and needed someone to brag to." Blaine was back. He looked around at his formerly happy company. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Um, I've actually got to run. I'll see you around kid," Cooper said, patting Blaine on the back. He gave Kurt one last glance and walked out the door. Kurt knew he was going to confront his father.

"What's his deal?" Blaine asked.

"Nothing. While you were gone, he got a text from his agent saying he had a gig lined up and had to get to LA immediately," Kurt lied. Blaine simply nodded. They finished their meal and went back to Kurt's house. They spent the rest of the day lounging on the lawn and just talking, mostly about happy things. Sadly, the following evening, Blaine had to pack up his clothes, take his toothbrush out of Kurt's bathroom, roll up his sleeping bag and drive back to Westerville. Kurt didn't sleep at all that night. There was too much at risk. Had Cooper talked to his father about Blaine? Did it make things better or worse? Was Blaine okay? Kurt had gotten out of bed, put on his shoes, gotten his keys and even made it out to his car once before he remembered that his presence would only add fuel to the fire. He had never been so happy to hear his alarm go off at 7 AM, signaling it was time to get up and go to school.


	5. Chapter 5: Black and Blue

For running on no sleep, Kurt was strangely alert. That might have been attributed to the extra shot of espresso in the coffee he had picked up, but he just really needed to see Blaine in one piece. Kurt glanced up and down the hallway in both directions. Still no Blaine. Kurt shut his locker and put his head against the cool metal. What had he done? What had Cooper said? Blaine was probably completely incapacitated right now and it was all Kurt's fault. He took a deep breath, searched for his keys and began to walk down the hallway back to his car. He would drive to Blaine's house and get him out of there. Luckily, he was stopped by his curly-headed boyfriend coming towards him down the hallway towards him. "Blaine!" Kurt cried, barreling towards him at full force and running into his arms. He didn't realize until then that he was sobbing.

"Come on, let's go to the bathroom," Blaine said, ushering Kurt towards the boys' room. He wrapped his arms around Kurt. "What's wrong?" Blaine asked.

"I talked to Cooper," Kurt sobbed.

"I know. He texted me last night and told me everything that you said," Blaine said. "He also told me that he talked to my dad." Kurt started crying harder.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," Kurt cried.

"Relax, I'm okay," Blaine said. Kurt lifted his eyes.

"Y...you are?" Kurt asked.

"Yep. Cooper and my dad had a talk and my dad told Cooper he'd lay off me. And that's just what he did. Now, let's clean you up and go to class," Blaine said, handing Kurt a wad of toilet paper to dry his eyes. They laced fingers and walked to class. Kurt couldn't help but notice something lackluster in Blaine's eyes. They made it through the day as normal until Glee club practice. They were practicing this new routine for a huge fundraiser they had coming up. Blaine accidentally flubbed a spin and went straight to the ground. Kurt rushed to his side.

"Are you okay, Blaine?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Blaine said, standing up slowly.

"Maybe you should call it an early day," Mr. Schue said.

"Good idea," Kurt said, getting his and Blaine's stuff. "I'll follow him home to make sure he's okay." They left the choir room and went to Kurt's car. "I'll have my dad get your car later. You're coming to my house." Kurt expected Blaine to protest.

"Thank you," Blaine said. Kurt looked at him warily and took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"You lied to me earlier, didn't you? You're not okay," Kurt asked. Blaine hung his head.

"I didn't want you to freak out and have to miss school. I'm really sorry, Kurt," Blaine said. Kurt patted his knee.

"I'm not mad. Let's just get you somewhere safe," Kurt said. He pulled out of the parking lot. "What happened?"

"Coop was gone by the time I got home. My dad was pissed that he got reprimanded about parenting from one of his kids. I was simply a punching bag," Blaine said.

"What hurts?"

"Just my ribs mostly. He got in a couple of good blows before my mother pleaded him off of me. Who would have thought, but the man has a soft spot for my mother," Blaine said, wincing as Kurt took a corner a little too sharp.

"Let's just get you to my house," Kurt said. He drove extra cautiously for the rest of the ride home. He helped Blaine get out. Even this simple task made Blaine flinch in pain. Kurt settled Blaine onto the living room couch. "Show me," Kurt said.

"Show you what?" Blaine asked.

"Where he hit you," Kurt whispered. Carole was lurking somewhere and he didn't want her to know. Blaine gingerly lifted up his shirt, revealing a huge bruise along his right side. Kurt gasped. "Oh, Blaine," Kurt said, giving his boyfriend a gentile kiss. "I'm so sorry," Kurt whispered.

"Please, don't be. Cooper should have known a long time ago," Blaine said. "He was only being a big brother and trying to help." Kurt just nodded and got up to get Blaine an ice pack. He helped Blaine position it along his ribs.

"Hello boys, you're home ea…Blaine, are you alright?" Kurt hadn't seen Carole come into the living room behind him. He cursed under his breath.

"Hi Mrs. Hummel. I'm fine. Just a bad spill at rehearsal," Blaine said.

"Well let me take a look. I'm a nurse. Maybe I can help," she said.

"No!" Kurt and Blaine said in unison.

"Boys, don't be silly. Let me see, Blaine," she said. Blaine sighed and gave in. He let Carole gingerly lift up his shirt. "Blaine, how on earth did you manage this?" she asked, examining the bruises. Both boys went to answer. "Before you two try to give me some sort of Glee club injury excuse, these bruises are at least a day old. He couldn't have gotten these today. I want the truth." Blaine sighed.

"Carole, as much as I wish I could give you the truth, I just can't. I'm not ready," Blaine said.

"Honey, you can tell me anything," Carole said, taking his hand. "Now, out with it." Blaine took a deep breath. Kurt gave him an encouraging look.

"It's my dad. He doesn't like the fact that I'm gay." Blaine didn't make eye contact with Carole. She was silent for a few minutes before she spoke.

"Did he do this to you?" she asked. Blaine nodded, tears clouding his eyes. Carole sat down on the couch next to him and wrapped him in a hug. Blaine's body was shaking with his sobs. "Shh, it's alright sweetheart. We're going to make everything all better," she cooed, rocking him back and forth slightly. Kurt remained silent. Blaine just needed a mom right now. Not a mom who ran from her problems, a real mom. After a few minutes, she broke the hug. "Let's take care of those ribs now before they start hurting more. Now, I need you to lie down," Carole said. Blaine gingerly laid down on the couch. Kurt wound his fingers through Blaine's curls as Carole gently pressed along Blaine's bruised ribs. When she came to a certain one, he flinched. "Just what I figured. I think you have a hairline fracture."

"Fracture?" Kurt asked, panicked.

"Relax, Kurt. A hairline fracture can be treated by just wrapping his ribs. No hospitals, no doctors, but a little bed rest tonight should be good. And how about you two take a personal day tomorrow, hm?" she asked.

"That would be nice," Blaine said. Kurt agreed. Carole retrieved an ACE bandage from a closet and carefully wrapped Blaine's sore ribs.

"There we go, that's much better," Carole said. Blaine nodded.

"Are you going to call the police?" Blaine asked.

"Have they been called before?" Carole asked in return. Blaine looked at Kurt and then back at Carole.

"Once. The neighbors heard yelling and they called for a noise complaint. He'd given me a bloody nose that night and they'd seen the leftover blood on the carpet. He went to jail for a night but he was bailed out and no charges were filed. But he has a record," Blaine explained.

"You can't live like this!" Kurt blurted out, tears clouding his eyes. He realized that he'd said that out loud and looked at Blaine apologetically.

"I know. But I turn eighteen in five months and I can legally emancipate myself. I can stick it out for that long," Blaine said, squeezing Kurt's hand.

"Are you sure you don't want me to call the authorities? With those bruises you have a pretty good case against him," Carole asked, putting her hand on Blaine's shoulder.

"I'm sure. I don't have long until I can get out of there," Blaine said. Carole just nodded.

"I just don't want a call that you're in the hospital," Kurt said.

"I know. And you won't get one," Blaine said, pulling Kurt into a side hug on his good side. Carole left to prepare dinner and Blaine snuggled up to Kurt, who turned on the TV. They went for something mind-numbing involving buff Italians on MTV to watch and laugh at. Blaine felt safe in the Hudson-Hummel house.

Both boys were drowsily watching some mindless dating show when they heard Burt's truck pull into the driveway. Burt left his boots at the front door and noticed that there were not one but two boys on his couch. "Hello, Blaine. It's nice to see you," Burt said.

"Hi Mr. Hummel. It's nice to see you too," Blaine said. Burt shrugged off the not so unusual presence and went into the kitchen to see his wife.

"Hi honey," he said, kissing Carole.

"Hello dear. How's the shop?" she asked.

"It was busy today. So is everything alright? Blaine's car isn't in the driveway but he's here on the couch with Kurt," Burt said.

"Yes, that's very true," Carole said, continuing to cook. Burt knew that something was wrong. Carole never answered that vaguely.

"Carole, what's going on?" Burt asked. Carole peered out into the living room at the two boys laughing at the television. She sighed before she spoke. He had a right to know too.

"Blaine collapsed at practice today. Kurt brought him here because he didn't want him driving. We have to go pick up his car from the school later. And he's going to be spending the night here," Carole said, still stirring the sauce in the pot.

"Why is he spending the night here? I can drive him home," Burt said.

"No, that's okay. I just want to keep an eye on him," Carole said.

"Can't his own family do that?" Burt asked. Carole sighed.

"No they can't. We can't let him go home," Carole said, turning to her husband. "Sit down, Burt." Burt sat.

"Carole, what's going on?"

"Blaine's father has been hitting him," she said quietly.

"WHAT?" he yelled. "Wait until I get my hands on that bastard! I'm going to his house to give him a piece of my mind!" By this point, Kurt and Blaine were no longer watching the TV.

"I think she told him," Blaine whispered. Burt came storming into the living room. He wiped the anger off of his face before he spoke.

"Blaine, kiddo, is this true?" Burt asked. Blaine only nodded. Burt sighed and pulled his car keys out of his pocket.

"Dad, where are you going?" Kurt asked, jumping up.

"To give Blaine's dad a taste of his own medicine," Burt said, storming out the door.

"Dad, you can't! You don't know what he's capable of!" Kurt cried after him.

"Kurt, let me handle this. You stay here with your mom and Blaine. I'll be back," Burt said through the window as he pulled out of the driveway. Kurt stood in the driveway, shaking, until Carole came and got him.

"Honey, your dad's a big boy. He'll be fine," Carole said, pulling Kurt into a hug. He looked into Blaine's sad eyes over her shoulder.

"It's not him I'm worried about," Kurt said.

"We're going to keep Blaine safe," Carole said, squeezing Kurt tight. Kurt couldn't help but feel a little unsure. Blaine's dad was unpredictable and he had no idea what would happen between him and his own loving father.

* * *

Oooh! A cliffhanger! :-)

PS: If you like fluffy drabble stories, check out my other story, "Random Word Klaine Drabbles." Contrary to this story, those stories are so sweet, you'll need to see a dentist to get the cavities filled!


	6. Chapter 6: Father of the Year

Burt made the usually forty minute journey to Westerville in less than half an hour. He pulled into the Anderson's driveway, threw his truck in park and stormed to the front door. He knocked loudly. A petite woman with Blaine's same curls opened the door. Burt assumed it was his mother. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"I need to speak to your husband," Burt said. The woman looked suspicious. "Ma'am, I'm Burt Hummel, Kurt's father." The woman looked less nervous now.

"I'm Sarah Anderson, Blaine's mother. Have you seen my son? He didn't make it home after school," she said.

"That's what I'm here to talk about, but I'd much rather discuss it with your husband, since he's the one that put Blaine on my living room couch with a fractured rib," Burt said, his voice getting louder.

"Please calm down, you'll disturb the neighbors," she said, glancing around nervously.

"Sarah? Who's at the door?" a male voice yelled from inside the house.

"Please, come in, Mr. Hummel," she said, ushering him inside. He sighed.

"Thank you," he said. He stepped in and was five feet from Mr. Anderson. Burt and Steven were about equal in size, but Burt's adrenaline was pumping like he'd never felt it before. He felt invincible. He charged at Steven and pinned him against a wall. "You like hitting little boys? Well let's see how you like it!" Burt yelled.

"Please, don't!" Sarah pleaded. Burt refrained from punching Steven's lights out, but kept a firm grasp on him. "Think of our sons! You're doing the exact same thing that's hurting my son! What would Kurt think?" she asked, tears now forming in his eyes. Burt looked at Steven and saw nothing but hate in his eyes. He relaxed his grip a bit.

"Why?" he asked Steven. Steven chuckled. "IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Burt yelled, increasing his grip.

"Listen, we both raised faggot sons. You and I just have different beliefs about them. You believe that our sons can find happiness in the world around them with the pink ponies and rainbows. I believe that our sons are freaks of nature. I just have a different way of helping my son," Steven said.

"Don't you ever dare talk about Kurt that way again. Or Blaine. Blaine's more of a part of my family than he is yours. We treat him like a real person. You treat him like trash. Blaine is like a son to me. He makes my kid happy. We raised smart, talented teenagers. I'm proud of them. You're just scum," Burt growled.

"Get off me, old man," Steven said, shoving Burt off of him. "He's my son. I can do what I want with him."

"Not anymore. We're taking him in," Burt said, turning to Sarah. "Mrs. Anderson, can you go pack a bag for Blaine for a couple of days?" he asked. She scampered up the stairs and returned five minutes later with a suitcase full of Blaine's clothing and schoolbooks. "I'd be happy to take you to a friend's house for the night if you don't want to stay here." She looked hard at her husband.

"Thank you sir, that's very kind of you," she said. Steven charged at Burt but Burt was faster. He had him on the ground with his arm pinned behind his back in two seconds flat.

"Don't you dare come looking for them. If you come within 100 yards of my son or yours, I'll call the cops and you'll be thrown in prison for domestic abuse." He slammed Steven hard to the ground and ushered Mrs. Anderson into his truck. He noticed her face was now stained with tears. "I'm sorry," Burt said.

"Don't be. You're the first person who's tried to keep my son and myself safe. Thank you," she said.

"Just glad I could help," Burt said. He dropped her off at her sister's house, which was twenty minutes away, and drove back to his house.

Kurt had never been more relieved to hear the jingle of keys in the front door. "Dad!" he yelled, running to his father, wrapping his arms around his dad's neck, still shaking and crying from earlier.

"Relax kiddo, I'm fine. Everything's going to be okay," Burt said, holding his son close. Kurt noticed the bag in Burt's hand.

"What's that for?" Kurt asked.

"Well, we're going to have a houseguest for a while," Burt said, walking over to Blaine, who was now laying comfortably on the couch with a dish of ice cream resting on his chest. Burt could guess by the sticky mess on Blaine's face that his son had tried to feed him. "Blaine, I…um…spoke to your dad. I can't believe he's been doing this to you. I took your mom to your Aunt Katherine's house. How do you feel about staying here for a while? We can get some sort of custody agreement worked out. I just don't want you going back there. It's not safe, kid." Tears sparkled in Blaine's hazel eyes. By now, Carole was helping to control an elated Kurt. He was so proud of his father and, not to mention, his boyfriend would be living at his house.

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel. That would be great. And thank you for taking care of my mom," Blaine said.

"So does that mean you're staying?" Kurt squeaked. Blaine nodded. Kurt flung his arms around Blaine until he flinched in pain. "Sorry," Kurt said, straightening himself out. "Where is he sleeping?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt…" Blaine said, nudging him. Carole laughed.

"Well I don't see the hurt in him staying on the futon in Kurt's room," Carole said to Burt.

"I do," Burt said under his breath.

"Oh hush," Carole said. "I'll get blankets and pillows. You just rest." Carole ruffled Blaine's curls and left the room.

"Really, Mr. Hummel, you didn't have to do that," Blaine said.

"Yes I did Blaine. Do you know how happy you make my son? You came into his life at a point when I was genuinely worried about him. I would go into his room every night to make sure he was breathing. Blaine, you saved my son's life. It's the least I could do to save yours." Burt said. Kurt was now crying uncontrollably with Blaine's arm wrapped around his waist.

"I don't know what to say," Blaine said. "I'm honored." Kurt rested his head on top of Blaine's. Carole reentered the room.

"Well boys, the futon is all set up. You can go upstairs and watch a movie but I want Blaine resting for a while. No strenuous work," Carole said, helping Blaine off the couch. Burt rolled his eyes. "Get your mind out of the gutter, dear," Carole said to her husband. He didn't even know she could see that. She helped Blaine to Kurt's room and helped him get dressed for bed. She then kissed both boys goodnight and left the room.

"Movie?" Kurt asked. Blaine nodded.

"You pick," Blaine said. It was silent for a few minutes as Kurt flipped through is rack of DVDs. "Hey Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"What's up?"

"Um…thank you for helping me. No one really has before," Blaine said. Kurt grabbed the Harry Potter DVD boxed set off the shelf and went over to his boyfriend and kissed him on the forehead.

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you're safe," Kurt said. He helped Blaine settle onto the futon and laid down next to him. "Let's get started on that Harry Potter marathon we always wanted to have."

"Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." It took no longer than five minutes for Blaine to drift to sleep with his head on Kurt's chest. Kurt looked down at his peacefully sleeping boyfriend. There was something different. Despite his sore ribs, he looked even more content than before. Kurt knew he felt safe. He shut off the television, flicked off the lamp and snuggled into his boyfriend for the night.

* * *

PS: I never use that f-t word outside of my writing. I just felt like it was something Blaine's father would say to egg Burt on.

PPS: This chapter was so insanely fun to write for some reason! Gotta love Burt Hummel!


	7. Chapter 7: A Turn for the Worst

I'm so sorry I haven't updated this in FOREVER. I've been really busy with work and taking a summer class. But I'm back now!

* * *

Life continued on normally for Kurt and Blaine. There had been no sign of Blaine's father at all. Blaine's guess was that he was probably sitting and waiting, thinking his family would need to come back eventually. Kurt and Blaine passed their time like they always did: going to school, doing homework, singing and just hanging out and being in love. About two weeks had past and it was the day of the big Glee club fundraiser. Kurt and Blaine were getting ready in Kurt's room. Kurt was fixing his hair and Blaine was rifling through his duffel bag to find his tie. "Shit, I think my mom forgot to pack my tie," Blaine said.

"Well I probably have one just like it if you want to use that," Kurt said.

"No, that will look silly. I need the real one," Blaine said. Kurt knew what that meant.

"You're not going home," Kurt said, turning around to look at Blaine.

"But I need my tie."

"Then I'll go with you," Kurt said. Blaine looked up to find Kurt now staring at him, completely terrified. "I just don't want you getting hurt."

"Relax, I'll be fine. It's noon on a Saturday. My father's at work. He always works Saturdays. I'll just sneak into the house, get my tie and then leave. There's nothing to worry about," Blaine said, kissing Kurt on the forehead, grabbing his keys and heading out. Kurt finished getting ready and drove to McKinley with a pit in his stomach. He had a terrible feeling about this. Kurt had estimated Blaine would get to the school by 2:00. No sign of him. Two thirty hit. No sign of him. Kurt texted him. _Are you okay?_ No reply. That was very uncharacteristic of Blaine. Three o'clock hit. Nothing. Three Thirty hit. Still nothing. Kurt was freaking out. Suddenly, there was a knock on the glee room door. Cooper was standing there, looking very sullen. Kurt knew he was right. Cooper didn't have time to speak before Kurt grabbed his bag and ran out of the room, practically pulling Cooper behind him. Wordlessly, Cooper made Kurt get into his car and he drove off.

"What happened?" Kurt asked.

"I'll explain later," Cooper said, driving well above the speed limit.

"No, actually, you'll explain it to me now!" Kurt yelled. "I have worked my damndest to keep Blaine safe through this and the one time I let him go home…" Kurt couldn't contain his tears any longer.

"It's not your fault," Cooper said. He sighed before continuing. "Blaine came home to get his tie thinking dad was at work. Well, ever since Blaine and mom left, dad hasn't been going to work. So when Blaine got there, he was there waiting for him." Kurt was shaking.

"Just tell me if he's okay, please," Kurt begged.

"We're going to the hospital," Cooper said.

"The hospital?! Coop, what did he do to Blaine?!"

Cooper sniffed and Kurt saw the tears well up in the usually very brave boy's eyes. "Dad has always been an avid hunter. It was something he did to unwind when he was uptight. I guess dad had just gone hunting and he was cleaning his guns when Blaine came back…" Cooper didn't have time to finish. Kurt had flung open the car door and was now vomiting on the side of the road. Cooper rubbed his back. Once his stomach was empty, he couldn't sit back up. He was crying too hard and couldn't control his muscles anymore.

"Just tell me if he's going to be okay," Kurt choked out.

"We don't know. I found Blaine on the floor bleeding when I got home. I'd come into town for the fundraiser. I made the 911 call and rode with him in the ambulance. We got separated when they took him into the trauma room," Cooper explained.

"Was he…" Kurt couldn't continue. He couldn't bear to think about Blaine not making it.

"He was alive when I found him. I kept him awake and talking to me while we waited for the ambulance. He wasn't doing too well on the ambulance ride over, though. Mom said she'd call if anything changed. I haven't gotten a call since I left." Kurt had composed himself and gotten back into the car. Cooper gathered his composure and pulled back onto the road. "He did want me to pass on a message to you. Right when he was fading in and out, he told me to tell you this: He says thank you for making this last year the best of his life. He loves you so much, Kurt and you make him so happy." Kurt couldn't move.

"He can't say goodbye," Kurt whispered. "I can't say goodbye. Not yet. We haven't lived. We never got our penthouse in New York City or went on a carriage ride through Central park or sang in a Broadway musical together or grew old together and he was supposed to die in my arms when we are 100 years old. He can't leave me yet."

"He's a fighter, Kurt. He's not going to go down without putting up the fight of his life," Cooper said. They were just pulling into the hospital parking lot. Kurt bolted out of the car and ran to the glass revolving doors of the emergency room, Cooper hot on his heels. The first person he saw was his own father, the second, Sarah Anderson. Kurt was making a mad dash for the wooden doors that led to the triage rooms, but his father caught him in a bear hug before he could get through.

"Let me go!" Kurt shrieked. He kicked and screamed and even landed a few good blows to his father's groin with his boots, but his father's grip remained strong.

"Calm down, Sport. The doctors are working on him right now. You need to let them do their job," Kurt said. Kurt had lost all control of his muscles and was no longer able to resist or even stand on his own two feet. He felt like a rag doll in his father's arms. He was now crying uncontrollably into his father's broad shoulder.

"It's all my fault. I should have stopped him. Or gone with him," Kurt sobbed.

"You couldn't have done anything Kurt. Blaine's a stubborn kid. But he's also tough. He's going to be okay," Sarah chimed in, rubbing Kurt's back. Kurt peeked up.

"Did the doctors say anything yet? What's wrong with him?" Kurt asked.

"One of the surgeons…" Sarah began.

"Surgeons?" Kurt yelled?

"Yes Kurt. Blaine is in surgery. When he got shot…" Sarah's voice cracked. "When he got shot, one of the bullets nicked an artery. He lost a lot of blood. They have to find the source of the bleeding in order to save him." Kurt slumped back down onto his father's shoulder. Ever since he was a baby, the smell of his father, motor oil and cheap aftershave, was comforting to him. Kurt felt his muscles tense less. As if on cue, a surgeon walked into the waiting room.

"Mrs. Anderson?" he asked. Sarah turned around.

"That's me," she said.

"I'm Dr. Chandler, Blaine's surgeon. Is this the rest of the family?" he asked. Burt began to speak, but Sarah chimed in first.

"Yes it is," she said. Kurt let out a squeak under his breath. "How is my son?" she asked.

"We found the hole in the artery in his chest and it's all fixed. He's still unconscious because he lost a dangerous amount of blood. We're giving him a transfusion but now it's up to him to wake up," he said. Kurt couldn't take his eyes off of the splash of red on the blue surgical booties that covered Dr. Chandler's shoes. He hid his eyes back in his father's shoulder so he wouldn't have to see it.

"When can we go see him?" Sarah asked.

"You can go see him in about an hour. We have to make sure he stabilizes after the surgery. I'll come back to tell you when you can go and see him," Dr. Chandler said.

"Thank you so much!" Kurt cried, flinging his arms around the doctor's neck. He stumbled backwards, catching himself before falling over. He chuckled.

"You're welcome, son," the doctor said, pulling Kurt aside to a corner of the room. "And don't worry about not being let back to see Blaine because you're not actually family." Kurt gave him a confused look. "Blaine woke up for a few moments in the ER and all he could say was 'Kurt.' I'm assuming he wouldn't be crying for a sibling like that. He really loves you." Kurt smiled, choking back tears. "And plus, if my boyfriend found out you didn't get to see Blaine, I would be walking the plank." Kurt chuckled, his eyes filling with light and happiness.

"Thank you, doctor," Kurt said again. The doctor smiled and left the room. Kurt took a deep breath and sat down in a hard plastic hospital chair.

"Kurt, how do you take your coffee?" Cooper asked.

"Black, two sugars," Kurt said, reaching for his wallet.

"Don't. It's on me," Cooper said. Kurt nodded and Cooper and Burt left the room to get coffee, leaving Sarah and Kurt alone.

"I'm sorry," Kurt said, very quietly, almost hoping that Sarah wouldn't hear him.

"Sorry for what, Kurt?" Sarah asked.

"I shouldn't have let Blaine go. He was just so insistent that he would be fine and I really trusted him," Kurt said, the tears welling up again.

"You couldn't have stopped him if you tried. He's a tricky one. He can weasel you into letting you do anything he thinks is a good idea. Usually it is a good idea and today is the first exception I can think of. So don't for a damn minute think that it's your fault that Blaine is hurt. You care so much about my son and I thank you so much for keeping him safe for as long as you could," Sarah said, pulling Kurt into her. He rested his head on her shoulder. Cooper and Burt came back with the coffee and they waited in silence for the next hour until Dr. Chandler came back.

"Blaine is sleeping peacefully right now, so you can go and see him if you promise to be very quiet," he said, leading them to an elevator and then to a small room down a long hallway. "I'm warning you now, he's hooked up to monitors and IVs and he's going to be in a bit of pain when he wakes up, but I am sure he is going to recover fine within a few weeks."

"Kurt, you should go in first in case he wakes up," Sarah said.

"I'm not his family…"Kurt began.

"No, you're not. You're his life, Kurt. You're his world. You need to be with him," Cooper said. Kurt's eyes teared up. He took a deep breath, nodded, and let Dr. Chandler lead him into Blaine's hospital room.

* * *

Oh, I seem to have left a cliffhanger here! See you soon, readers! :-D


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